The present invention relates generally to apparatus for the generation of compressed air and particularly to apparatus of the type utilizing a motor-driven compressor, cooling lubricant, storage means for the lubricant, means for separating lubricant from the compressed air and for cooling the lubricant and various control and regulating devices.
Prior art devices of the type to which the present invention relates are known, for example, from German Offenlegungsschrift No. 23 02 046. In an arrangement of this type, there is provided a housing which is divided in the longitudinal direction into several sections and which has individual sections which are screwed together. Each section serves to support or receive a functional group or several functional groups of the compressed-air generating plant. Consequently, there is required a plurality of fitting surfaces which must be accurately finished or machined. As a result, the manufacture of such devices becomes cumbersome and increased attention is required from workers or specialists performing the assembly.
Another disadvantage of such prior art devices resides in the fact that the different functional groups are nested into each other, and particularly in the complete integration of the compressor in a central housing section. Accordingly, the housing must be divided at a respective location for maintenance work or repairs so that, for example, the compressor and its line connections will be accessible. Moreover, the compressor housing must be constructed so as to be pressure-tight at least with respect to the high-pressure portion thereof, and special seals must be provided for the bearings on the high-pressure side. Accordingly, there results the inevitable presence of lines or ducts which lead from one housing section to another and which must also be sealed. Despite the fact that different functional groups are nested into each other, there still results a comparatively large axial length which poses a significant equivalent disadvantage both in stationary and non-stationary use.
The invention is therefore directed to the task of providing an improved apparatus of the type described which will not only operate with reduced space requirements, but which will also reduce production expenses and increase operational safety.